Beyond paradise by Copyright Paperback Collection (Library of Congress) DLC, Elizabeth Doyle Page A
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stroke of comfort and a punch. "I'm sure it's nothing to do with him, friend. I'm sure Blanchet is long gone. You've just got to forget him."
Jacques quickened his eating in the manner of someone who was not lending great credence to anyone's words at the
Q
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moment. Sylvie wondered at their discourse, but she did not ask. Something told her not to. After a long silence, the fourth present member of the French speakers announced, "Well, we were all very glad that you made it back alive." His name was Remi, a fair-haired man with a wispy, whitish ponytail.
'The captain wanted to leave you," grumbled Sebastien, despite Francois's nudge at him to stop. "Well, it's true," he said. Jacques looked up from his rice, most interestedly. "The captain said you were as good as hanged two days ago. If we hadn't put up such a stir about how it's tradition to wait a full two weeks, I think he would've set sail, the bastard."
Jacques shook his head in muted annoyance.
"He's not a very good captain," Remi remarked.
Nobody else wanted to chime in. They all dropped their chins and paid careful attention to their food, except for Jacques, whose eyes were squinted in thought. At last he spoke, and everyone leaned in, praying for a change of subject. "He wanted to have Sylvie." He pointed to her.
It was not as much of a change in topic as they'd hoped for, but it was better than nothing. "Well, that would be no good," said Sebastien, casting a kind eye on Sylvie. "You're better off with Jacques."
"So he keeps telling me," she answered quietly.
Sebastien laughed, but said, "No, really. The captain .. . isn't good with women. Well,"—he smiled at his friends— "he's good with them, but not to them."
"What do you mean?" she asked with disinterest.
"He, uh ... well, he wines and dines and romances, but... then he drinks too much. And when he does, he .. . well, he becomes a great deal less charming."
"He hits women," said Frangois.
Jacques made a frantic signal with his hand.
"I'm not scaring her," Sebastien replied rather defen-
Elizabeth Doyle
sively. "How could it scare her? She's not going to be with him—she's yours." He turned to Sylvie. "Jacques doesn't hit women. Don't worry."
Sylvie smiled awkwardly.
"Anyway," Sebastien went on, "of all the pirates who could have claimed you, you're lucky it was Jacques."
"I would have been luckier if it had been no one," she remarked with a false smile, slightly lifting the mole at her mouth's corner.
"Well, yes, and you would have been luckier if you'd been born to a king instead of a comte, too, but if it had to be one of us, I'd say you did well."
Sylvie rolled her eyes. She couldn't believe the casual way in which these men discussed her kidnapping. It was as though they assumed she was abducted all of the time. Were they not even suspicious of her unnatural comfort with Jacques? Had he truly been her captor and rapist, would she be so easy in his presence? Had horror become so routine that they forgot how an outsider would feel in her place? While eating, she had begun to think of them as regular men, talking and commiserating like old friends, but now she recalled that there was nothing ordinary about them at all. They were men, yes, not monsters as Jervais would have them be. But they were rugged and ruthless men who thought that women, like treasure, were to be divided amongst them and spent. Their lives were hard. She could see that in their worn hands, scarred arms, and sunburned faces. But they had no sympathy for the hardships of others. Especially not hers.
The rest of the crew returned from supper, gradually and drunkenly. The noise of their entrance made Sylvie freeze and Jacques leap to his feet. "Come here," he beckoned her. "Let's get you under the blankets before they start any trouble."
"We'll defend your right," Frangois assured him. "She is yours."
BEYOND PARADISE
97
1 wish everyone would stop saying that," muttered Sylvie.
Jacques put
Jacques quickened his eating in the manner of someone who was not lending great credence to anyone's words at the
Q
BEYOND PARADISE
95
moment. Sylvie wondered at their discourse, but she did not ask. Something told her not to. After a long silence, the fourth present member of the French speakers announced, "Well, we were all very glad that you made it back alive." His name was Remi, a fair-haired man with a wispy, whitish ponytail.
'The captain wanted to leave you," grumbled Sebastien, despite Francois's nudge at him to stop. "Well, it's true," he said. Jacques looked up from his rice, most interestedly. "The captain said you were as good as hanged two days ago. If we hadn't put up such a stir about how it's tradition to wait a full two weeks, I think he would've set sail, the bastard."
Jacques shook his head in muted annoyance.
"He's not a very good captain," Remi remarked.
Nobody else wanted to chime in. They all dropped their chins and paid careful attention to their food, except for Jacques, whose eyes were squinted in thought. At last he spoke, and everyone leaned in, praying for a change of subject. "He wanted to have Sylvie." He pointed to her.
It was not as much of a change in topic as they'd hoped for, but it was better than nothing. "Well, that would be no good," said Sebastien, casting a kind eye on Sylvie. "You're better off with Jacques."
"So he keeps telling me," she answered quietly.
Sebastien laughed, but said, "No, really. The captain .. . isn't good with women. Well,"—he smiled at his friends— "he's good with them, but not to them."
"What do you mean?" she asked with disinterest.
"He, uh ... well, he wines and dines and romances, but... then he drinks too much. And when he does, he .. . well, he becomes a great deal less charming."
"He hits women," said Frangois.
Jacques made a frantic signal with his hand.
"I'm not scaring her," Sebastien replied rather defen-
Elizabeth Doyle
sively. "How could it scare her? She's not going to be with him—she's yours." He turned to Sylvie. "Jacques doesn't hit women. Don't worry."
Sylvie smiled awkwardly.
"Anyway," Sebastien went on, "of all the pirates who could have claimed you, you're lucky it was Jacques."
"I would have been luckier if it had been no one," she remarked with a false smile, slightly lifting the mole at her mouth's corner.
"Well, yes, and you would have been luckier if you'd been born to a king instead of a comte, too, but if it had to be one of us, I'd say you did well."
Sylvie rolled her eyes. She couldn't believe the casual way in which these men discussed her kidnapping. It was as though they assumed she was abducted all of the time. Were they not even suspicious of her unnatural comfort with Jacques? Had he truly been her captor and rapist, would she be so easy in his presence? Had horror become so routine that they forgot how an outsider would feel in her place? While eating, she had begun to think of them as regular men, talking and commiserating like old friends, but now she recalled that there was nothing ordinary about them at all. They were men, yes, not monsters as Jervais would have them be. But they were rugged and ruthless men who thought that women, like treasure, were to be divided amongst them and spent. Their lives were hard. She could see that in their worn hands, scarred arms, and sunburned faces. But they had no sympathy for the hardships of others. Especially not hers.
The rest of the crew returned from supper, gradually and drunkenly. The noise of their entrance made Sylvie freeze and Jacques leap to his feet. "Come here," he beckoned her. "Let's get you under the blankets before they start any trouble."
"We'll defend your right," Frangois assured him. "She is yours."
BEYOND PARADISE
97
1 wish everyone would stop saying that," muttered Sylvie.
Jacques put
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